My Grocery Budget 2019 - November Update

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with my grocery shopping this month.  I didn't have a lot of time and I didn't take the time to make lists or really think things through like I normally do.  The ads at the stores weren't particularly all that good either.  I ended up going to Wal-Mart much and purchasing much more than I normally would and I don't think that saved me money at all and to be honest, the quality of the produce purchased left a lot to be desired.

By the time Thanksgiving rolled around I knew I needed to up my game so I got up early on a Sunday morning and went to Trader Joes.  Best produce I purchased all month and it made me very happy.  So lesson learned.  I did not have any non food purchases this month so no need to use my budgeted $25 for that.

Here is the food I bought this month:

$210.76 ÷ 30 days ÷3 people = $2.34 per person per day

How did you do this month?  Any super buys you stocked up on?

This budget month runs from November 1 through November 30

Happy Thanksgiving

Confetti Sugar Cookies

The next batch of cookies to whip up in this series is a super simple and extremely delicious sugar cookie.  Depending on the sprinkles you choose to use these could be made up for any holiday or occasion.

Confetti Sugar Cookies

1 white cake mix

2 eggs

1 stick butter or margarine, melted

2 Tbs all purpose flour

1/4 cup sprinkles

In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, eggs, butter, flour and sprinkles to form a thick sticky dough.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking pan.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes at 375 degrees until the edges just start to brown.  Remove to a cooling rack then store in an airtight container.  Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

I used my cookie scoop to drop these onto the baking sheet

Fresh out of the oven

Quick, easy and once again thrifty too!  If you had a confetti cake mix you probably wouldn't need the sprinkles and I do think a yellow cake mix would work as well, but the white mix really makes it a sugar cookie in my opinion.  I definitely think these are Christmas tin worthy as well as the Lemon Drop Cookies I made last week.

Inside is moist & chewy & pretty too!

Aren't these cute?

Check back next week for my next easy and thrifty cookie recipe.  I'm so excited to share these with you.  My daughter and I are having a ton of fun coming up with these cookie recipes.

Less Than 1 Month Left To Get Ready For Christmas

As I've mentioned before we are keeping our Christmas quite simple this year, particularly with gift giving.  The girls and I agreed to exchange small inexpensive gifts with each other and keep our meals smaller and less extravagant.  Nonetheless, I have every expectation that we will enjoy a very lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  We are truly blessed to have so much in our lives and for all of that I am truly, truly grateful.

With less than one month until the big day I am happy with where things are currently sitting.  In September I updated my Christmas card list, gathered up my cards I planned to send out and addressed all my envelopes complete with stamps and return address labels.  I had just enough stamps leftover from last year that I do not need to buy anymore as well as plenty of cards and labels in my stash.  Since then I've been working on drafting our annual letter, fine tuned it and printed it out on some pretty stationary I have in my paper stash.  All that is left to do is add the letters to the cards, sign the cards and get them all into the mail sometime the first week in December.

I got out my gift wrap bin and did some wrapping

Also in September I received a coupon as well as a sales flyer in my email from the Vanity Fair Outlet store.  They had faux fur throws on sale for $6.97 each so I picked up one for each of us for the coming winter.  They are really nice, come hanging on velvet hangers and retailed originally for $29.99.  I was super excited about them.  Then I realized they'd be perfect for the girls for Christmas gifts so I tucked them away with that thought in mind.  A couple weeks ago I pulled out my gift wrap bin and used gift boxes, tissue paper, gift labels and curling ribbon I already had on hand to wrap them up.  I plan on one more gift for each girl plus their usual stocking stuffers and that will pretty much be it for gifts this year.

September must've been my month to get Christmas things done because I made my co-worker gifts at the end of the month.  I had picked a big bucket of pears from our tree in the backyard.  There were far more than we could eat so I cut up most of them putting the pears into my slow cooker.  I used spices and sugar from my pantry to make a nice batch of pear butter that yielded six half pint jars.  I used lids and jars I already had on hand to can the pear butter, labels I had to put on the jars and then fabric circles I had cut from fabric scraps with pinking shears to cover the tops of each jar.  A homemade gift tag filled out for each one will be attached and I'll give these out to my boss and four team members.  For the rest of my co-workers I plan to take in a big platter of cookies and some fudge to share with the group.

I use the recipe on the back of the Kraft marshmallow creme
jar to make my fudge.  Turns out perfect every time.

I've amassed quite a collection of tins and boxes perfect for giving food gifts.  I'd really like to use some of those up as they take up a lot of space in the closet so this year our friends and family will be receiving a tin filled with homemade fudge and cookies made in our kitchen.  I've got plenty of waxed paper, ribbon, bows, treat bags and gift tags to spruce it all up and I think they will be very much enjoyed.  Simple and nice as well as very tasty.  Plus we get the joy of baking cookies and making fudge which we really do enjoy.

Our Christmas Eve dinner will be the same as we have every year.  Clam chowder, garlic cheddar biscuits and a big green salad.  It is our traditional meal.  Instead of a roast or expensive steaks this year on Christmas Day the girls and I have decided a simple Chicken Alfredo with some pasta would be perfect and that is what we will have.  It will be delicious and satisfying I'm sure.  I will steam some broccoli and make another fresh salad to go with it.  I do plan to stay Keto through the holidays, but my girls will still be enjoying their favorites.

Pretty much everything we need for baking and making fudge as well as our holiday meals I already have in my freezer or pantry.  I'll make a grocery run for fresh produce and dairy, but for the most part we are well set in the food department.  We aren't planning to do much entertaining in December, however that can always change and usually does, but I've got plenty of snack type foods like cheese and crackers, chips and salsa, that sort of thing on hand so no worries there.  We'll be ready for pretty much anything.

My gift wrap bin is FULL of stuff to use up

Where are you at with your holiday preparations?  How are you planning to celebrate?  What is on the menu at your house?  Do you do a lot of holiday baking?

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

Sunday I was seriously in the mood to bake cookies but with not a lot of time to devote to it I decided it was a good time to try a new quick and easy recipe using a boxed lemon cake mix.  I whipped up some Lemon Drop Cookies and took a tin of them to my friend when I returned her carpet cleaner to her.  I thanked her profusely for lending it to me as it did a fabulous job in our downstairs bedroom.  On the way home we stopped at Wal-Mart and did some grocery shopping, then home to put away groceries, tackle my Sunday chores, my daughter tackled her home work and I made a scrumptious Sunday pork chop dinner.

Monday I popped a birthday card into the mail along with a $5 Dutch Bros gift card I'd been given so my oldest daughter would have a little something on her first birthday away from home.  Her birthday was Wednesday and she said her friends filled her dorm room with balloons.

Our Sunday dinner

Tuesday was our busiest day of the week.  Our marathon began when I dropped my daughter at school just before 6:00 am and ended with us leaving her orchestra concert and heading for home shortly after 8:00 pm.  It was a very long day for both of us.

Wednesday I worked on more cookie recipes for my latest blog series.  I took a big plate of cookies into work and got really good feedback from my co-workers.  They seem quite happy to be my taste testers.  No sacrifice is too great for my readers.

Thursday I was gifted a 20# turkey by one of my co-worker's husband who happens to be a meat broker.  He brought our entire team a turkey, which was such a wonderful surprise.  I barely had room, but I managed to fit it into our chest freezer.

Friday morning I baked a cake to make my daughter's favorite birthday cake for her as well as another batch of blog cookies.  I also removed a dead squirrel from our front porch (thank you Jack) all before 7:00 am.  My daughter needed to run an errand so after work she and I took care of that.

Saturday was my youngest daughter's birthday.  My oldest daughter came home for an overnight visit and to celebrate birthdays.  She got to sleep in her new room for the first time and loved it!

Saturday was also our best day for thrifty accomplishments.  My old laptop had a bad keyboard and I decided to order a replacement from Amazon for $13.99 earlier in the week.  It arrived on Saturday and I was able to remove the non functioning one and replace it.  Now that the laptop works again my youngest daughter will be able to use it for her school work.  We are hoping it will get her through high school so we won't have that expense to be concerned about.

As part of her birthday gift I gave my daughter a brand new complete set of upgraded violin strings.  At parent teacher conferences her teacher told us she has a very nice violin and it would sound even better if we replaced the strings.  She gave us three options for what she recommended.  I chose the ones that were priced in the middle and ordered them last month.  After she opened her presents she and I replaced the strings and then she tuned it.  We had her play a couple pieces before and then after.  Wow!  An amazing difference in the tone.  She is super happy about it and I know we saved a small fortune being able to do this ourselves over having it done at a shop.  That old violin continues to amaze us and she continues to love it.

I borrowed a DVD from a co-worker so the girls and I could have a movie night on Saturday, complete with freshly popped popcorn.  They have wanted to see Fight Club, which is a great movie I always seem to talk about (I know, you aren't supposed to talk about it) and we don't have it free with Netflix or Prime.  Renting it on Prime is affordable, but borrowing from someone it is even more so.

Additionally last week, I added a little bit of warm water to an "empty" laundry detergent bottle and gave it a good shake.  I had enough soapy solution to run a load of laundry.  I then tossed the now truly empty bottle into our recycle bin.  I pulled a new bottle of detergent from my stash in the linen closet to replace that one and we are good to go.

Some of the 15 Minute Chores I accomplished to keep my home in order:

Laundry Room & Half Bathroom - vacuumed floors, cleaned dryer vent.  Scrubbed bathroom sink.  Daily swish & swipe.

Dining Room - vacuumed floor, cleaned dining room chairs.

Kitchen -  super scrubbed & bleached kitchen sink, vacuumed & spot mopped the floor.

Bedrooms & Main Bathroom - vacuumed & dusted.  Scrubbed sink & toilet.  Daily swish & swipe.

Other - two loads of laundry, vacuumed & dusted living room, hallway & entry..  Swept front porch.

How was your thrifty week?

The Benefits Of Rising Early

I love to get up early each day, even on the weekends, and revel in the quiet solitude that is mine in the morning.  The morning is my time where I can write, plan, think, reflect, pray, or just sip my coffee and do absolutely nothing if I so choose.

I find that by going to bed before 10:00 each night I sleep better and awaken earlier feeling fairly well rested.  I have the luxury to lie in bed for a few minutes before slipping out of bed instead of bounding out at the first alarm and trying to start my day in a frantic state.  Usually that little bit of time is spent snuggling with a kitty and thinking about the day ahead.

The first thing I do when I get up is make my bed.  I don't even leave my room without first making my bed.  Then I put on my slippers and begin my day.  A hot cup of coffee is a must for me and I do enjoy it immensely.  On weekdays I pull out various items from the fridge and pantry to put into lunchboxes before settling down with my coffee and laptop.

I usually have about an hour to myself on the weekdays, longer on the weekends, to write or do some planning.  Two things I do enjoy a lot.  Once my daughter is off to school it is a good time for me to get my daily 15 minute chores done before it is time for me to get ready for work.  By doing my chores in the morning it not only frees up my time in the evening, but it makes it even nicer to come home after a long day at work to find a neat and tidy house waiting for me.  My little house is my little haven.

Often I feel as though I've already accomplished so much before I even arrive at work.  I love that feeling I get when I'm productive and things are getting done.  I've been doing early mornings for about five years now and it has really changed my life.  I'm so glad I decided to change my routines and get up early each day.  It has been pleasantly surprising to see what a positive impact it has had on my life.  Plus I've seen some pretty amazing sunrises in the process.

Lemon Drop Cookies

With Thanksgiving coming up next week and Christmas fast approaching I figured it might be time for a cookie series.  Simple, quick and easy cookie recipes you can put together and share with friends and loved ones.  With holiday parties, potlucks and entertaining on the horizon a fresh baked batch of cookies is always a nice thing to have on hand any time you need it.

Lemon Drop Cookies

1 lemon cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1-2 Tbs. powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, eggs and oil to form your dough.  Pinch off enough dough to roll into a 1 inch ball.  Roll the balls in powdered sugar and place onto a lightly greased baking pan.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes at 375 degrees until the centers are set and the edges just start to brown.  Remove to a cooling rack then store in an airtight container.  Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

My first time baking on parchment paper

Not only quick and easy, but thrifty too!  You can make these in nothing flat and if you stock up on cake mixes like I do whenever they go on sale it makes them very inexpensive to make.  I definitely think these are Christmas tin worthy as well.

These are absolutely delicious!

Check back next week for my next easy and thrifty cookie recipe.  I'm excited to share these with you.

New Bedding On A Budget

As I mentioned last week I really had no budget for our downstairs bedroom upgrade and that was no joke.  With everything looking so nice I really had my heart set on new bedding for my daughter's bed.  New bedding would really tie things together nicely and give the room a much more adult feel.  Plus her comforter was nearly ten years old and although still usable it was more geared for a teenager than a college student, in my opinion.  Her tastes have changed as has this bedroom.

The sheets and blanket are soft and cozy

The sheets and blanket she left behind are a different story and were very well worn.  They are definitely showing their age.  In fact I have plans to cut up her blanket to make kitty and bunny blankets out of it and the sheets will most likely become rags or drop cloths.  So if nothing else I needed to replace a set of sheets and a blanket.

The comforter is reversible

While at Wal-Mart one day I decided to take a quick peek at their bedding.  I'm not a huge fan of their Mainstays brands and the microfiber sheets they sell, but I did happen across 300 thread count percale sheets in the Better Homes & Garden brand that I thought wouldn't be bad at all.  The price for a set of sheets was $19.83 so I grabbed those and went to find a blanket to match.  My original thought was to see if I could get by with just a blanket for the time being and look for or make a quilt or comforter later on.

The curtains were a bonus item.  I was not expecting to get these.
We already had the curtain rod so that worked out really well.

As luck would have it I found a lovely soft blanket for $10.46.  It looked nice and warm too.  Then I went to look at comforters and quilts finding nothing that made be jump for joy.  But as I was leaving I did see one lone twin sized comforter set tucked in a corner that was the same color as the sheets and blanked and reversible with a chocolate brown side.  And only $15.67 with a sham!  I added that to my basket and figured I was pretty much done until I happened down yet another aisle.

I fell in love with this throw

The holiday collection of faux fur throws had me thinking once again and I snapped up one for $14.93.  Since I was on a roll and hadn't spent nearly what I was expecting to I went ahead and picked up a set of chocolate brown light blocking curtains for $14.96.  Needless to say I was quite surprised to find all of this at a low price and a decent quality too.  And I got curtains!

I can hardly wait for my daughter to test it all out!

The whole shopping excursion was completely unplanned and with no budget set aside it all had to come from our regular household budget.  So this month we won't eat out, go to the movies, or buy any clothes, etc., but that is just fine.  We are pretty thrilled with having this bedroom redone and the final results.

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

I was up fairly early on Sunday feeling ready to begin my day.  I started off by planning out our meals and meal prep for the week ahead, wrapped gifts for upcoming birthdays as well as two Christmas gifts and then made waffles for breakfast.  As the day progressed I did not, finding myself feeling supremely lazy as I curled up in my recliner with a fuzzy blanket and my laptop where I spent the remainder of my day writing and watching Youtube videos.  It was the perfect way to rest up and enjoy a chilly late fall day.

All tidied up again 😊

Monday I was able to pull some things from my pantry to add to two Thanksgiving baskets my daughter's cheer/dance team are putting together.  They've adopted two families this year to make up dinner baskets for so I was happy to be able to contribute items for that.

Tuesday evening I mended a few holes I had in my dish cloths by darning them on my sewing machine.  Aside from a few small holes they are still in really good shape so by mending them I should get by for quite a bit longer, plus I really like them.  I'm finding it more difficult to buy good quality dish cloths that aren't made with some type of synthetic fibers.  The last set I bought are collecting dust as I do not care for them at all.

Wednesday my daughter and I started watching a documentary series on Netflix about World War II.  We really enjoyed it and it answered quite a few question she had about that war and the holocaust.  Thursday we also watched the movie The Tuskegee Airmen using our Amazon Prime.  I had seen this movie before and wanted my daughter to see it as well.  If you haven't seen it I do recommend it if you have any interest in history or the second world war.  We finished up the documentary series on Friday and Saturday and felt it was time well spent.

Our Sunday dinner - Meatloaf!

Saturday was not particularly productive, however I did do some searching for something I need for an upcoming project I have in mind for our living room.  I think I may have found what I've been looking for.

I baked a pan of brownies and took them into work to share with my co-workers.  I left the corner brownies in the pan for my daughter.  They are her favorites.

I used up the very last drop of shower gel from a bottle my oldest daughter left behind.  I've had it upside down in the shower now for a few weeks using it up.  The bottle went into the recycle bin.  I am also working on a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of conditioner she left behind before I put out anything new.

My youngest put a bar of hotel soap from our soap jar in the shower to use.  She loves those little soaps we've been given.  We have friends that travel far more than we do and they always bring back the soaps and little bottles from the hotel and give them to us.  Even the shower hats which end up in our kitchen as bowl and platter covers.  Very handy.

I did not do any grocery shopping, or any other shopping for that matter, last week.

Some of the 15 MinuteChores I accomplished to keep my home in order:

Laundry Room & Half Bathroom - tidied laundry room, vacuumed floors, mopped bathroom floor, washed rug, scrubbed sink.  Daily swish & swipe.

Dining Room - vacuumed floor, dusted chair rail, cleaned light switch.

Kitchen -  vacuumed the floor, cleaned range hood & microwave.

Bedrooms & Main Bathroom - vacuumed & dusted, cleaned mirrored closet doors.  Cleaned bathroom mirror & scrubbed sink.  Daily swish & swipe.

Other - two loads of laundry, vacuumed living room, hallway & entry.

How was your thrifty week?